Volcanic ash forces closure of Catania Airport
Volcanic ash from Mount Etna fell on Catania today, forcing authorities to close the airport overnight, airport officials said.
The Fontanarossa airport, the main one in eastern Sicily, said on its website that it had closed at 5pm and would stay closed at least until 6:15am tomorrow, “when the state of the volcanic phenomenon and possible reopening of the airport will be examined.”
The website did not say how many flights would be affected, and airport officials on duty who answered the phone declined to say.
The last time volcanic ash forced the closure of the airport was 2002.
Mount Etna, Europe’s biggest and most active volcano, springs to life every few months.
In 1669, a huge eruption destroyed Catania, on Sicily’s eastern coast. Etna’s last major eruption was in 1992.
